Wednesday, December 31, 2008

"I'M sitting on the rail in the heavy darkness that comes just an hour or so before dawn. The wind is howling. It's slicing through my many layers, tearing into my bones. My toes feel like they will snap off if I let them rest for more than 30 seconds.

Every minute or so we crash through a wave that sets an army of icy spray on us as punishment for disturbing its natural march across the sea. We huddle together on that rail like penguins soaking up each others warmth. There is still two more hours of my watch to go."